The present invention is directed to a quick connect/disconnect coupling and more specifically, to a quick connect/disconnect hydraulic or pneumatic hose coupling that utilizes a diametrically expandable locking ring (such as a split ring) within the female coupling member to maintain a locking arrangement between the male and female coupling members, and a release mechanism designed for simple and efficient decoupling of the male and female members that does not require the use of proprietary tools.
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a coupling assembly that includes: a) a female coupling member including a cavity opening onto its receiving end, where the cavity has an annular groove; b) a male coupling member including an annular rib, where the rib has a tapered leading edge, a trailing edge and a maximum diameter between the leading and trailing edges; c) a diametrically expandable locking ring carried in the annular groove of the female coupling member, where the locking ring has an un-expanded inner diameter that is less than the maximum diameter of the annular rib on the male coupling member, and where the locking ring is diametrically expandable to have an inner diameter that is at least slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the annular rib; and d) a cam surface extending radially outwardly from the male coupling member and positioned axially between the trailing edge of the rib and trailing end of the male coupling member, where the cam surface has a radial height substantially equal to or greater than the radial height of the annular rib on the male coupling member at the maximum diameter of the annular rib. The male coupling member is dimensioned for insertion into the cavity of the female coupling member to a locking position in which the trailing edge of the annular rib passes the receiving-side edge of the annular groove in the female coupling member. Whereupon insertion of the male coupling member into the cavity of the female coupling member to the locking position, the tapered leading edge of the annular rib on the male coupling member contacts the inner surface of the locking ring, causing the locking ring to diametrically expand as the locking ring advances towards the trailing edge of the annular rib and upon passing the trailing edge of the annular rib, the locking ring contracts again and is maintained in a locking state between the trailing edge of the annular rib and the receiving side edge of the annular groove. The male coupling member is further dimensioned for selective axial movement inwardly towards the distal end of the female coupling member, from the locking position to an unlocking position. With such movement of the male coupling member to the unlocking position the cam surface passes the receiving side edge of the annular groove. Whereupon movement of the male coupling member from the locking position to the unlocking position, the cam surface extending radially outwardly from the male coupling member contacts the locking ring and diametrically expands the locking ring again so that the annular rib of the male coupling member may pass back again by the locking ring during removal of the male coupling member from the female coupling member.
In a more detailed embodiment, the coupling further includes an annular collar carried on the male coupling member, where the annular collar includes the cam surface. In a further detailed embodiment, the annular collar is axially slidable along the male coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the coupling assembly further includes a first retainer that retains the cam surface of the annular collar and axial alignment with the annular groove of the female coupling member as the male coupling member is being removed from the female coupling member, at least until the trailing edge of the rib on the male coupling member passes back beyond the receiving-side edge of the annular groove in the cavity of the female coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the cam surface of the annular collar includes a leading edge for contacting the locking ring and an axially extending portion for maintaining the locking ring in the diametrically expanded state, and the first retainer is the locking ring contracting against the axially extending portion of the cam surface of the annular collar, thereby frictionally or mechanically retaining the annular collar in axial position as the male coupling member is being removed from the female coupling member, until the annular rib of the male coupling member contacts the annular collar and carries the annular collar out with the male coupling member.
In yet a further detailed embodiment, the collar is slidable on the male coupling member from an unlocked position, in which the collar is positioned axially against the annular rib providing a relatively smooth circumferential transition surface from the trailing edge of the annular rib to the axially extending portion of the cam surface of the annular collar, to a locked position, in which the collar is axially spaced from the annular rib to provide an annular gap axially between the collar and the annular rib, into which the locking ring can (at least partially) diametrically contract into the locking state between the trailing edge and the receiving side edge of the annular groove.
In yet a further detailed embodiment, the coupling assembly further includes a releaseable second retainer for selectively retaining the collar in the locked position. In yet a further detailed embodiment, this releaseable, second retainer is a clip removably coupled to either the male coupling member or the collar, and is adapted to contact the receiving edge of the female coupling member so as to prohibit the male coupling member from being selectively moved axially to the unlocking position within the female coupling member. In an even further detailed embodiment, the collar includes a first radially outwardly extending flange positioned axially distal from the leading edge of the cam surface on the collar, the male coupling member includes a second radially outwardly extending flange positioned on a trailing edge side of the collar, the clip is removably coupled to the collar on a leading edge side of the first radially outwardly extending flange, and the clip is adapted to be maintained between the receiving end of the female coupling member and the first radially outwardly extending flange of the collar and the second radially outwardly extending flange is adapted to contact the trailing edge side of the collar, thereby preventing the collar from sliding axially beyond the second radially outwardly extending flange.
It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a coupling assembly that includes: a) a female coupling member including a cavity opening onto its receiving end, where the cavity has an annular groove; b) a male coupling member including annular rib, the rib having a tapered leading edge, a trailing edge and a maximum diameter between the leading and trailing edges; c) a diametrically expandable locking ring carried in the annular groove of the female coupling member, where the locking ring has an un-expanded inner diameter that is less than the maximum diameter of the annular rib on the male coupling member, and the locking ring is diametrically expandable to have an inner diameter that is at least slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the annular rib on the male coupling member; and d) an annular collar slidably carried on the male coupling member axially between the trailing edge of the annular rib and the trailing end of the male coupling member, where the annular collar includes an outer circumferential surface having an outer diameter substantially equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the annular rib and where the annular collar is slidable on the male coupling member from an unlocked position, in which the collar is positioned axially against the annular rib providing a relatively smooth circumferential surface from the trailing edge of the annular rib to the axially extending portion of the cam surface of the annular collar to a locked position, in which the collar is axially spaced from the annular rib to provide an annular gap axially between the collar and the annular rib, where the annular gap is dimensioned for receiving at least a portion of at least a partially contracted locking ring therein. The male coupling member is dimensioned for insertion into the cavity of the female coupling member to a locking position in which the trailing edge of the annular rib passes the receiving side edge of the annular groove in the female coupling member. Whereupon insertion of the male coupling member into the cavity of the female coupling member to a locking position, the tapered leading edge of the annular rib on the male coupling member contacts the inner surface of the locking ring, causing the locking ring to diametrically expand as the locking ring advances toward the trailing edge of the annular rib, and upon passing the trailing edge of the annular rib to the annular gap axially between the collar in the annular rib, the locking ring contracts again and is maintained in a locking state between the trailing edge of the annular rib and the receiving side edge of the annular groove. The male coupling member is further dimensioned for selective axial movement inwardly in towards the distal end of the female coupling member, from the locking position to an unlocking position. In the unlocking position, the outer circumferential surface of the annular collar is moved into axial alignment with the annular groove in the female coupling member. Therefore, upon movement of the male coupling member from the locking position to the unlocking position, the annular collar contacts the locking ring and diametrically expands the locking ring again so that the annular rib of the male coupling member may pass back again by the locking ring.
In a further detailed embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the coupling assembly further includes a stop positionable to a blocking position inhibiting the male coupling member from moving from the locking position to the unlocking position. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the stop is positionable to the blocking position axially between the receiving end of the female coupling member and a projection extending radially outwardly from either the male coupling member or the collar. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the projection is an annular flange. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the stop is a removable clip.
In an alternate detailed embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention the stop is positionable to the blocking position axially between the receiving end of the female coupling member and an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the collar.
In yet another alternate detailed embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the coupling assembly further includes a retainer for retaining the annular collar in axial alignment with the annular groove in the female coupling member as the male coupling member is being removed from the female coupling member at least until the trailing edge of the rib on the male coupling member passes the receiving side edge of the annular groove in the cavity of the female coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the retainer is the locking ring contracting against the outer circumferential surface of the collar. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the coupling assembly further includes a stop positionable to a blocking position inhibiting the male coupling member from moving from the locking position to the unlocking position. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the stop is positionable to the blocking position axially between the receiving end of the female coupling member and projection extending radially outwardly from either the male coupling member or the collar. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the projection is an annular flange. In yet an even further detailed embodiment, the stop is a removable clip, such as a C clip. In yet an even further detailed embodiment, the annular flange extends radially outwardly from the collar. In yet an even further detailed embodiment, the male coupling member includes an abutment extending radially outwardly therefrom to limit movement of the collar towards the trailing end of the male coupling member. In yet an even further detailed embodiment, this abutment is an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the male coupling member. In yet an even further detailed embodiment, the annular rib on the male coupling member includes a shoulder at the trailing edge of the annular rib, where the shoulder is substantially normal to an axis of the male coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the locking ring is an annular split ring, where the split ring comprises a length of spring material formed into a ring, where the length of spring material includes a cross-sectional radius. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the leading end of the annular collar has a radial height that is less than the cross-sectional radius of the length of spring material comprising the annular split ring; therefore, as the male coupling member is moved inwardly to the unlocking position, the leading end of the annular collar contacts the annular split ring lifting the annular split ring radially outwardly substantially into the annular groove in the male coupling member.
In another alternate embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the male and female coupling members include fluid channels extending axially completely therethrough. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the male and female coupling members are hydraulic coupling members and the fluid channels are, therefore, hydraulic fluid channels.
In yet a further alternate detailed embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the male coupling member includes a first stop positioned on a trailing edge side of the annular collar and the first stop retains the annular collar in axial position with respect to the male coupling member as the male coupling member is being inserted into the locking position. In a further detailed embodiment, this first stop is a projection extending radially outwardly from the male coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, this projection is an annular flange. In yet an even further detailed embodiment, the coupling assembly further includes a retainer for retaining the annular collar in axial alignment with the annular groove in the female coupling member as the male coupling member is being removed from the female coupling member, at least until the trailing edge of the rib passes the receiving side edge of the annular groove in the cavity of the female coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the coupling assembly further includes a second stop positionable to a blocking position inhibiting the male coupling member from moving from the locking position to the unlocking position. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the second stop is positionable to the blocking position axially between the receiving end of the female coupling member and a projection extending radially outwardly from either the male coupling member or the collar. In yet a further detailed embodiment, this projection is an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the collar. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the second stop is a removable clip.
In yet another alternate detailed embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the annular rib on the male coupling member includes a shoulder at the trailing edge of the annular rib, where the shoulder is substantially normal to an axis of the male coupling member. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the locking ring is an annular split ring, which comprises a length of spring material formed into a ring, where the length of spring material has a cross-sectional radius. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the leading end of the annular collar has a radial height that is less than the cross-sectional radius of the length of spring material comprising the annular split ring; therefore, as the male coupling member is moved inwardly to the unlocking position, the leading end of the annular collar contacts the split ring, lifting the annular split ring radially outwardly substantially into the annular groove in the female coupling member.